Facebook Allows Two-Factor Authentication Phone Number Search

He explained in a series of tweets that Facebook lets its users decide if their phone numbers can be used this way by everyone, friends of friends, or friends. However, there is no way to get rid of the look-up option entirely as the option is set to default.

Facebook is using phone numbers that users submitted for two-factor authentication as a way for them to be searchable on the platform.

The phone number is also connected to your Instagram account when you sign it up for 2FA.

Facebook's use of user phone numbers came back into the limelight this week, as many users realized that their account was still discoverable by people searching with their phone number. All Facebook accounts with any phone number listed, be that for 2FA or otherwise, can only restrict its use for look ups by changing the setting from "Everyone" to just "Friends".

Facebook is one of the leading social sites that has been accused of questionable security and making users' personal details exposed for business objective.

Facebook is in hot water once again for how it is using the phone number users may have only provided to Facebook for security reasons.

Facebook Privacy for phone numbers

What's even worse than the fact this is a standard, default practice is that you can't opt out of the look you up "feature" from the settings menu.

The shocking revelation comes months after Facebook admitted it was using these phone numbers for targeted ads. "Now it can be searched and there's no way to disable that", wrote Burge. "All someone needs to do, conceivably, to exploit this new "feature" from Facebook is to punch in random cell phone numbers until they hit paydirt and discover a corresponding identity".

The firm introduced a way to use third-party authentication apps in lieu of phone numbers in May 2018.

On his Twitter, Jeremy Burge criticised Facebook for the alleged misuse of users' personal information.

Lawyer and Adam Smith Institute fellow Preston Byrne pointed out on his blog that Facebook "just created a massive security hole which exposes every single one of its users to life-alteringly shitty hacks". Now it can be searched and there's no way to disable that.

So, as you can see, it's very hard to avoid giving Facebook your phone number when everyone from advertisers to high school besties can upload it to the social network with a few taps.

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